The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-06-23
The Jubilee

Jubilee day is over, and the pageant in the
streets of London and the exercises in West
minister have passed without anything in the
way Of dynamite explosions or other disturb
ances to mar their success. The Queen has
been gazed upon by her faithful subjects,
and her reign has been glorifed in poetry
and prose the world over. The fifty years
In which Victoria has sat upon the throne
have been prolific Of great events. The rec
cord has been one Of progress in all depart.
ments of human knowledge. The customs
are kindlier and the laws purer than on the
day Victoria was crowned, and the English
people are freer and more Independent than
then. Probably the Queen personally has
contributed very little to this progress, but
1t is greatly to her credit that she has not re-
sisted it. Some great changes have come
about in the Kingdom, changes whose inevi-
| table effect was to curtail the power and pre-
negatives of royalty and broaden the power
and influence of the masses. Popular suf-
frage has been extended to point that
would have filled her uncle, the last of the
Georges, with dismay, and though she
has probably not looked upon these changes
using any OF the questionable methods to
check them so frequently employed by hel
predecessors to defeat measures to which they
were personally hostile. As has been well
said she has been content to reign without
trying to rule. During her reign her sub
| jects though constantly drifting towards de-
| mocracy, have retained for her reverence
| and respect, the result as we'll of her dis.
erection in not obtruding her personality into
| the government as of her many virtues.
| The one dark spot in the history of her
reign is the condition of the Emerald Isle,
which even while the jubilee is in progress
| is loaded down with new burdens and bound
| with more CALLING chains. Yet even Ireland
all things considered. is better off than fifty
| years ago. The attention of the English
people has finally been arrested by the story
| of her wrongs, and she no longer tells hel
tale as of yore to deaf ears. Home rule is
not accomplished, but the mere fact that it i.
the most prominent topic of discussion that
enlistS the attention Of the English people
marks an immense improvement in the SEN
timent toward Ireland. A quarter of a cen.
fury ago, nay half score years ago, he would
have been bold Englishman indeed who
would have suggested that amount of con.
cession to the Irish people. Now the fore
| most Englishman of his time is its open and
avowed advocate, and tens of thousands OF
Englishmen are rallied beneath standard
which calls for justice to Ireland. There is
yet much of the old prejudice remaining
there is yet great opposition to be overcome,
but he who AYERS that ireland is no nearer
the freedom which she is seeking than when
Victoria was crowned, shuts his eyes to the
past. The darkest hour of the night is just
before the dawn, and the coercion bill
passed by the Commons may be and very
likely is the precursor Of still further
awakening on the part of the British people
which will grant full justice to the unhappy
| people of the Emerald Isle.